System for responding to a resource request
First Claim
1. A method of handling a resource request, comprising:
- receiving a resource request at a network server from a client computer system, said resource request including a first identity of a network entity;
searching a database for a resource record associated with said network entity;
retrieving an identifier of a series of executable instructions from said resource record; and
executing said series of instructions to facilitate providing the requested resource to said client by said network entity.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trigger is provided in association with a network naming service, such as DNS (Domain Name Service), that handles client requests for an application. The trigger comprises a set of executable instructions referenced by a resource record associated with an identifier of the application. In response to a client request concerning the application, the resource record is retrieved and the instructions are executed. In one implementation of a trigger, a DNS server provides load balancing among a plurality of servers within a network name space (e.g., domain or sub-domain) offering an application program (or replicated service) that is known by a virtual server name. A policy is selected for choosing a preferred server from the plurality of servers according to a specified status or operational characteristic of the application instances, such as the least-loaded instance of the application or the instance with the fastest response time. The policy is encapsulated within multiple levels of objects or modules distributed among the plurality of servers and the DNS server. The objects collect and assemble the servers'"'"' status and operational characteristics. The information collected by the objects is analyzed to select the server that best satisfies the selected policy. A client request for the application is received by the DNS server, which retrieves a resource record corresponding to the virtual server name. Within the record is the name of a trigger. The trigger is executed to select, or retrieve an identity of, a server to which the client request is to be directed.
538 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A method of handling a resource request, comprising:
-
receiving a resource request at a network server from a client computer system, said resource request including a first identity of a network entity; searching a database for a resource record associated with said network entity; retrieving an identifier of a series of executable instructions from said resource record; and executing said series of instructions to facilitate providing the requested resource to said client by said network entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 26, 27)
-
-
11. A method of load-balancing requests for an application received at a central server among a set of servers, wherein each server in the set of servers operates an instance of the application, comprising:
-
receiving a client request concerning access to the application; retrieving a resource record associated with the application, said resource record referencing a trigger, wherein said trigger comprises a series of executable instructions; executing said trigger to determine an identity of a preferred server from the set of servers, said preferred server operating an instance of the application to be accessed by said client; identifying a first factor for selecting said preferred server, said first factor comprising an operational characteristic of the application; receiving a first status of said first factor for a first instance of the application operating on a first server; and receiving a second status of said first factor for a second instance of the application operating on a second server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of handling a client request at a central server, comprising:
-
receiving a client request, said request comprising an identifier of an application; retrieving a resource record associated with said application, said resource record comprising a trigger; and executing said trigger; wherein said trigger comprises a series of executable instructions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. An apparatus for balancing requests for an application among multiple servers operating multiple instances of the application, wherein the requests are received at a central server, comprising:
-
a trigger for executing a series of instructions in response to a request for the application from a client computer system; a first server for operating a first instance of the application; a second server for operating a second instance of the application; a first status module for determining a first status of said first instance; a second status module for determining a second status of said second instance; an analysis module for examining said first status and said second status and selecting one of said first server and said second server for receiving said request for the application. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for handling a resource request, the method comprising:
-
receiving a resource request at a network server from a client computer system, said resource request including a first identity of a network entity; searching a database for a resource record associated with said network entity; retrieving an identifier of a series of executable instructions from said resource record; and executing said series of instructions in response to said resource request.
-
-
25. A computer readable storage medium containing a data structure for storing a trigger, said data structure comprising:
-
an index portion for storing an identifier of a network entity; an identifier of a trigger, said trigger comprising a series of executable instructions; and a type portion for identifying the data structure as comprising said trigger; wherein said data structure is retrieved and said trigger executed in response to a client request for a resource offered by said network entity.
-
Specification